American Name Society

The American Name Society was founded in 1951 to promote onomastics, the study of names and naming practices, both in the United States and abroad. It is a non-profit organization that seeks to find out what is in a name, and to investigate cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names.

Focusing on the understanding of names in all forms, the Society provides members with several vehicles for the discussion and publication of onomastics theory, views, data, and concepts. The American Name Society is interdisciplinary and welcomes both scholars and names enthusiasts.

History

The American Name Society was founded in 1951 by a group of scholars interested in furthering research in onomastic studies. At that time, much of the research being done on onomastics was conducted by scholars associated with the American Dialect Society (ADS) and focused on placename research. However, by the early 1950s, names scholars felt that the time had come to create a separate organization devoted specifically to onomastic inquiry. Most of the early members were scholars in literature and languages, although a few of the founding members came from other disciplines, including geography and law.[1]

An early function of the Society was to identify subareas of onomastic inquiry. George R. Stewart, one of the founding members of the Society, suggested the following categories of names: 1) Personal names, including individuals, animals, personified objects, and personified abstractions; 2) Institutions and corporations; 3) Brand names; 4) Tribes, groups, and dynasties; 5) Titles, including books and works of art; 6) Place names of all sorts; 7) Events in history; 8) Abstractions not personified, such as Stoicism or Republicanism; and 9) Famous objects not personified, such as the Koh-i-nor diamond.[2] He offered these categories not to limit the scope of onomastic research, but to help define the range of research being conducted by ANS scholars at that time.

The use of the term “American” in the Society’s title was initially considered ambiguous by many, but was intended to indicate that the Society was founded in America, as opposed to limiting the scope of its members or the scope of its research. And, in fact, the organization has proven to be internationally inclusive, as evidenced by the diversity of its members, conference presenters, and journal publications. The ANS has long provided scholars in America and abroad with the opportunity to disseminate the results of their research on a variety of names and naming practices.[3]

Membership

Membership in the American Name Society includes access to a community of scholars and its communications, eligibility to present at conferences, and a subscription to Names: A Journal of Onomastics.

Members of the Executive Council

ANS Officers

Members at Large

Additional Positions

Past Presidents

Journal

The journal of the American Name Society is Names: A Journal of Onomastics, which is published quarterly by Taylor & Francis. Names was established in March 1953 and is one of the world’s leading journals in the study of onomastics. It is dedicated to the investigation of onomastic data and publishes a broad diversity of scholarly articles and book reviews in the field. Each subscriber to Names becomes an automatic member of the ANS. Dr. Frank Nuessel (University of Louisiana) is the current editor of the journal.

Past Editors

Allied Sister Societies

The American Name Society is allied with the Linguistic Society of America (LSA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA). It is also a member of the following group of sister societies that meet concurrently with the LSA:

Conferences

The American Name Society presents two conferences per year for name scholars, enthusiasts, and linguists. The ANS Annual Meeting is held in January in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America meeting and typically involves a four-day event that includes paper presentations, panel discussions, and general comradery over food and drinks. The ANS Panel at the Modern Language Association conference is also held in January and provides the opportunity for scholars in onomastics to present papers in panels that address specific themes and often showcase research in literary onomastics. Programs for past ANS conferences and panels can be found on the ANS website.

Past and upcoming ANS Annual Meetings

Past and upcoming ANS Panels at the Modern Language Association Conference

Awards

American Name Society Emerging Scholar Award (ANSESA)

The Emerging Scholar Award recognizes the outstanding scholarship of a names researcher in the early stages of their academic or professional career. To be eligible for this award, applicants must be an entry-level professional, an untenured academic, or a student, and have their single-authored abstract accepted for presentation at the ANS annual conference. They must also be a member of the ANS. The awardee receives a cash prize and mentoring by a senior onomastics scholar who will assist the awardee in preparing their paper for submission and possible publication in Names: A Journal of Onomastics.

Past ANSESA winners

Best Article in Names: A Journal of Onomastics

The Best Article in Names: A Journal of Onomastics Award is given to only one article per year according to the significance of the article and its relevance to the science of onomastics. The award committee of three reviewers operates independently of the editor.

Past Best Article in Names Award

Name of the Year

Every year, the American Name Society votes for the Name of the Year during its annual meeting. Anyone may nominate a name by sending a nominated name and a short justification to the coordinator of the Name of the Year election. Last-minute nominations are also accepted from the floor during the ANS annual meeting. Nominations are judged based on their linguistic innovation, potential to influence language use, and ability to capture national attention. Popularity or notoriety is not deemed important. In 2008, the ANS began choosing winners in four categories (Personal, Place, Trade, and Fictional Names) as well as the overall winner. All members of the American Name Society attending the annual meeting select the winners, which are usually announced together with the Word of the Year selected by the American Dialect Society.

Past Names of the Year

2015

2014:

2013:

2012:

2011

2010:

2009:

2008:

2007: Betrayus (pejorative political nickname)

2006: Pluto (demoted planet)

2005: Katrina (hurricane)

2004: Fahrenheit 9/11 (documentary film title)

Society Bylaws

The American Name Society bylaws can be found on the ANS website.

References

  1. ↑ Bryant, Margaret M. (1976). "After 25 Years of Onomastic Study". Names. 24 (1).
  2. ↑ Stewart, George R (1953). "The Field of the American Name Society". Names. 1 (2).
  3. ↑ Gasque, Thomas J (2010). "The American Name Society and International Onomastics". Onoma. 45.

External links

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